1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for augmenting blood circulation in a limb of a patient and in particular to a foot or hand subjected to severe frost bite.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Patients exposed to severe frost bite and other forms of injuries or illness that impair blood circulation in an injured limb need enhancement of the blood circulation in order to heal or in an extreme case save the limb and provide for a full recovery. Inadequate arterial blood flow in the injured limb can lead to such problems as pain upon exertion, slow healing of injuries, breakdown of soft tissue leading to slow healing of ulcers and in the extreme, gangrene with the result and need to amputate the injured limb.
Prior art methods of restoring full blood circulation to an injured limb include medication, massaging, and applying warmth to the injured limb. However, these methods are of limited value in treating severe injuries, especially frostbite.
There are also a wide variety of prior art devices designed to assist blood circulation in an injured limb. Examples of such prior art devices include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,518 issued to Villanueva on Feb. 22, 1983 which discloses an electronic device for pneumomassage of the limb of a patient which includes a compressor for successively inflating and deflating inner and outer boots in a rhythmic preselected cycle; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,249 issued to Linman et al on Apr. 19, 1988 which discloses a device for cyclically subjecting an injured limb to subatmospheric pressure.
While these devices of the prior art are designed to fit an injured limb and provide for increased blood circulation by sending alternate intermittent pressure pulsations to the injured limb to periodically compress and release the leg and accelerate blood flow, these devices of the prior art do not work in synchronism with the patient's heart or nearby artery to increase blood flow into and out to the injured limb.